First Look

Things That Go Boom in the Sky

Thousands of red-, white- and blue-clad revelers descended on
UB’s North Campus again this summer for the Town of
Amherst’s Independence Day Celebration, one of the largest
Fourth of July fireworks displays in the region. According to Matt
Shaw, owner of Skylighters of WNY, the
fully scripted and computer-automated show is unique—and more
complex than the typical display since it’s synched to
music.

While spectators gazed into the black canvas above to see the
“chrysanthemums,” “golden willows” and
“salutes” paint the sky, Shaw and his team were
preoccupied with every detail on the ground. “We’re so
busy looking everywhere else, we don’t even get to see the
fireworks,” Shaw says. “Our enjoyment is hearing the
crowd go crazy.”

By the Numbers

100+: Hours of work that go into the display before it
reaches the site14:
Hours spent preparing the display on the day of the event30:
Minutes of showtime800: Height, in feet, reached by the display7,380: Number of fireworks used in the show